There are a number of devices for launching targets and retrieval devices for the purpose of shooting practice or for dog training.
One such device described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,318,350, issued on Nov. 20, 2001 to Williams, uses a compressed air gun to launch mock birds, which are stored in a plurality of cylindrical housings. However, compressed air is notoriously unpredictable and the design of Williams does not allow for a large number of targets to be loaded on the device. Moreover, the use of a compressed air gun requires that the shape of the targets or retrieval devices used conform very closely to the shape of the housing in which they are stored.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,505,577, issued on Jan. 14, 2003 to Putnam describes a target launching device consisting essentially of a tripod and a pivot arm connected to a pneumatic cylinder, as well as a magazine consisting of a rectangular tube with a small opening. Putnam teaches that the targets be made from rubber cylinders having a string tied to a PVC washer at one extremity. This enables the targets to be loaded on the device by placing the PVC washer in the rectangular tube and the string in the opening, with the rubber cylinder hanging below. This design again limits not only the number of targets in the magazine, but also the appearance and shape of the target.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device capable of launching targets, retrieval devices and combination target and retrieval devices consistently and reliably, with the added capability of being able to launch irregularly shaped targets and retrieval devices and the capacity to load a large number of such devices for launching.
It should be understood that the launching system described herein by the applicant is capable of launching targets, retrieval devices (such as retrieval devices 90 shown in FIG. 6 herein) and special combination target and retrieval devices (such as combination target and retrieval devices 92 shown in FIG. 7 and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,708,649, referred to above). For the sake of brevity, all such devices shall be referred to herein collectively as “targets” and those skilled in the art will understand that any reference to such “targets” will include a reference to retrieval devices and combination target and retrieval devices.